For many people, housing costs are the biggest monthly bill. The Bilt Rewards program offers a way to earn rewards on these payments, but whether it’s a good deal depends on how you use it. The key is understanding the fees, reward structures, and how your spending habits fit into the system.
Earning Points Without a Bilt Card
You don’t need a Bilt card to participate. Using a non-Bilt Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover card through Bilt incurs a 3% processing fee but earns 1 point per $2 spent. However, certain partner cards (Atmos Rewards and United MileagePlus) offer better rates: 3 Atmos points per dollar (up to $50,000 annually) or 2 United miles per dollar (also up to $50,000 annually). Debit card payments cost a flat $9.95 fee but earn 250 Bilt points monthly. Mortgage payments via ACH transfer earn 100 points, debit card payments earn 250, and non-Bilt Mastercard earns 1 point per $2 spent.
Maximizing Rewards with a Bilt Card
A Bilt Blue, Obsidian, or Palladium card removes transaction fees, but the rewards system is more complex. You choose between earning Bilt Cash on all purchases or housing-only rewards.
Bilt Cash Pathway: Earn 4% back in cash on non-housing spending, redeemable at 3 cents per point to unlock up to 1 point per dollar on housing payments. This requires spending $750 to earn $30 in Bilt Cash, enough for 1,000 points on a $1,000 housing payment.
Housing-Only Rewards Pathway: Earn bonus points based on your non-housing spending as a percentage of your monthly housing payment:
- Less than 25%: 250 points monthly
- 25–50%: 0.5 points per dollar spent on housing
- 50–75%: 0.75 points per dollar spent on housing
- 75–100%: 1 point per dollar spent on housing
- 100%+: 1.25 points per dollar spent on housing
Which Pathway Is Best?
The optimal choice depends on your spending habits. If you spend less than $137.50 monthly on non-housing purchases, housing-only rewards are likely better. If you spend enough to hit the 25% or 50% thresholds, the housing-only pathway can still be effective. Above 50%, earning Bilt Cash and redeeming it for housing points becomes more profitable.
In short: Bilt Cash is advantageous if you spend heavily elsewhere, while the housing-only pathway suits those with moderate non-housing expenses.
Should You Use Bilt?
The Bilt program offers a valuable way to earn rewards on housing payments, especially with the no-annual-fee Bilt Blue card. Partner cards like Atmos Rewards can also be beneficial, despite the 3% fee. Carefully evaluate your spending and redemption habits to maximize your earnings. If you’re already using credit cards for other purchases, integrating Bilt could be a smart move.
